3. How quickly can sunlight hit the Earth and what is this process called? Hint: look in the “Did you know” box.
Answers:
1. Life on Earth would not be possible without the Sun because:
The food we eat exists because of sunlight falling on green plants, and the fuel we burn comes either from such plants, or was accumulated by them (in the forms of coal, oil and natural gas) long ago.
The Earth would probably not be fit for life. Life as we know it needs liquid water, and Earth is the only planet to have it: without the Sun, Earth would be an icy rock in space. Even now, Earth is probably the only place in our solar system fit for life: any water on Venus and Mercury would become steam, any on Mars or on more distant planets would freeze.
2. Thousands of stars cover our galaxy and when you look at our star, the Sun, you will see it is quite small.
3. Lights from the Sun can reach the Earth in only 8 minutes! This is called the speed of light.
Subtopic: The Inner Planets
Questions:
1. Of the inner planets, which one would be MOST likely able to support life (besides earth)?
2. What makes Venusdifferent than all the other planets?
3. Why does Mercury have such a large temperaturerange?
Answers:
1. Mars
2. It spins "backwards", or in an opposite direction of the other planets in our solar system.
3. Because of it's slow rotation (or really long days)
A: There are four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
2. Jupiter is known for having a large number of moons. How many does it have? Which moon has volcanic activity?
A: Jupiter has 60+ moons, of which fifty are named. Io is known for having unusually high surface temperatures and volcanic activity.
3. What makes Uranus unique from other outer planets? How do scientists think this happened?
A: Uranus’ axis is tilted on its side so its equator runs perpendicular to where the earth’s axis would be located. Scientists believe that at one point the planet must have collided with a object big enough to cause this jolt.
Subtopic:The Moons of Planets
Questions:
1)What spacecraft first visited Earth’s moon, and when?
2)How many moons does the planet Jupiter have?
3)What is unique about Saturn’s moon Iapetus?
Answers:
1) The Moon was first visited by the Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959.
2) 63.
3) It is half bright and half dark.
Subtopic: Asteroids and Comets
Answers
1) Asteroids are made of rocky and/or iron-nickel material. Yes, Asteroid Ida has it’s own moon called Dactyl.
2) Comets are cold clumps of dusty ice. Comets have four parts, the nucleus in the center, the coma that surrounds the nucleus, the hydrogen cloud around the coma, and the tail that trails behind as the comet moves.
Subtopic: The Sun
Questions:
1. Without the sun, what would happen to all the people, plants, and animals on the Earth?
2. Is the sun a star or a planet?
3. How quickly can sunlight hit the Earth and what is this process called? Hint: look in the “Did you know” box.
Answers:
1. Life on Earth would not be possible without the Sun because:
The food we eat exists because of sunlight falling on green plants, and the fuel we burn comes either from such plants, or was accumulated by them (in the forms of coal, oil and natural gas) long ago.
The Earth would probably not be fit for life. Life as we know it needs liquid water, and Earth is the only planet to have it: without the Sun, Earth would be an icy rock in space. Even now, Earth is probably the only place in our solar system fit for life: any water on Venus and Mercury would become steam, any on Mars or on more distant planets would freeze.
2. Thousands of stars cover our galaxy and when you look at our star, the Sun, you will see it is quite small.
3. Lights from the Sun can reach the Earth in only 8 minutes! This is called the speed of light.
Subtopic: The Inner Planets
Questions:
1. Of the inner planets, which one would be MOST likely able to support life (besides earth)?
2. What makes Venusdifferent than all the other planets?
3. Why does Mercury have such a large temperaturerange?
Answers:
1. Mars
2. It spins "backwards", or in an opposite direction of the other planets in our solar system.
3. Because of it's slow rotation (or really long days)
The Outer Planets
1. How many outer planets are there? Name them.
A: There are four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
2. Jupiter is known for having a large number of moons. How many does it have? Which moon has volcanic activity?
A: Jupiter has 60+ moons, of which fifty are named. Io is known for having unusually high surface temperatures and volcanic activity.
3. What makes Uranus unique from other outer planets? How do scientists think this happened?
A: Uranus’ axis is tilted on its side so its equator runs perpendicular to where the earth’s axis would be located. Scientists believe that at one point the planet must have collided with a object big enough to cause this jolt.
Subtopic:The Moons of Planets
Questions:
1)What spacecraft first visited Earth’s moon, and when?
2)How many moons does the planet Jupiter have?
3)What is unique about Saturn’s moon Iapetus?
Answers:
1) The Moon was first visited by the Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959.
2) 63.
3) It is half bright and half dark.
Subtopic: Asteroids and Comets
Answers
1) Asteroids are made of rocky and/or iron-nickel material. Yes, Asteroid Ida has it’s own moon called Dactyl.
2) Comets are cold clumps of dusty ice. Comets have four parts, the nucleus in the center, the coma that surrounds the nucleus, the hydrogen cloud around the coma, and the tail that trails behind as the comet moves.
3) Halley’s Comet appears every 76 years.